1. Finding and Discovery
The difference between finding what you want and discovering
what you want is often a matter of knowing exactly what you want before
entering the store or not knowing what it is you are after. As Weinerberger
points out, a store does a good job of promoting those unexpected items that a
customer did not know they wanted before entering the store. In a retail setting, sometimes this is done
through staff picks, clearance racks, impulse items, or suggestive sales at
check-out. When you accidently stumble
upon that item that you just have to have, then you have discovered what you
needed at that point as opposed to going into the store for a toothbrush,
grabbing the toothbrush, paying, and leaving.
In the Fashion, Design, and Marketing library here at Kent
State, I think that the staff does a tremendous job of creating the opportunity
for discovery for its patrons. The main
way this is done is through display shelves at the entrance of the library. The display shelves are used to promote new
books that are typically large and visually-attractive so that they can grab
the attention of a passer-by. In
addition to this, a few books are selected for display right at the check-out
counter. These books are mostly colorful introductions to fashion and design
and are appropriate items to have available to anyone interested in beginning
their studies in fashion. Finally, the magazines are shelved faced-out so that
the patrons can see the covers for a greater chance of either seeing a new
magazine that they did not know about before, or even noticing the newest issue
of a magazine that they might have some interest in already.
Of course, even the shelving of materials in the main stacks
promotes discovery. Even if a student knows that they need to write a research
paper on Chanel (for example), through browsing the section they might find
more contextual information about designers who may have been influenced by
Chanel, or information on the French fashion culture in the early 1900s. This kind of discovery is invaluable to
research because at the time of setting out on a research project we are never
really sure the total extent of what we are researching.
2. Access points
Creating more access points to information is crucial for
the survival and relevance of libraries in today’s digital age. I think that the basic aspects of doing this
are already being met by a large amount of libraries today, and that is by
having electronic access to information resources. Today, having licenses with large research databases
is essential for any academic library, as well as having remote access to the
library’s catalog through a VPN.
The digital age primarily means that information is more versatile
than ever. Information can be stored, transferred, copied, and accessed faster
and in more ways than ever before. I
think that libraries have already been embracing this change but need to continue
to do so in order to meet the demands of their community and in order to
broaden their reach. Today, even the
collections of a small rural library have a chance to be accessed by anyone
anywhere, if that library has the means to digitize at least some of its
collections.
Searching the catalog itself can be made easier and more
efficient through the use of metadata.
Appropriate and creative uses of metadata can be used to ensure that
patrons are getting the relevant information that serves their needs, and as a
method of discovery for the patron to find additional information resources
that she or he might not have known about before. The ability for patrons to suggest, review,
tag, or create lists to share with other patrons could go a long way in
promoting the use of library resources to a larger public.
